


A Little More

by tufted



Series: Almost Coffeeshop AU 'verse [2]
Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: 5+1 Things, M/M, Mentions of Therapy, Nicknames, these two are so in love it's sickening, worry of being outed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-02
Updated: 2021-02-02
Packaged: 2021-03-13 05:48:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,011
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29148450
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tufted/pseuds/tufted
Summary: The thing about dating Jeff is that he’s a little too into the whole nickname thing. He likes to claim that it had started with Kent having been called Parsley back in the Q, but Kent’s not entirely sure that that’s the case. He’s pretty sure that Jeff just likes to chirp him on the downlow while the guys are still around.------------Or 5 nicknames Jeff has for Kent and 1 Kent has for Jeff
Relationships: Kent "Parse" Parson/Jeff "Swoops" Troy
Series: Almost Coffeeshop AU 'verse [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2139294
Comments: 10
Kudos: 38





	A Little More

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to the one-shot I promised I wrote while we were in the thick of all that angst back in [The Pains of Growing](https://archiveofourown.org/works/27494935/chapters/67230727). The date one-shot I'm working on still needs to be re-worked but that'll go up eventually. 
> 
> If you're here and haven't read the fic that was put up before this one-shot, I would recommend reading it. You could probably get away with understanding what's happening here, but I'm going to go out on a limb and say it won't have the same emotional impact. Also slight spoilers for [The Pains of Growing](https://archiveofourown.org/works/27494935/chapters/67230727), as this one-shot mostly takes place between Chapters 27 & 28 with one part taking place shortly after 28. But hey- you do you. 
> 
> Title comes from the song of the same name by Alessia Cara. It felt fitting since it's off of the album that the original fic was named after.
> 
> Content/Trigger warnings in the end notes

**Parsley**

The thing about dating Jeff is that he’s a little too into the whole nickname thing. He likes to claim that it had started with Kent having been called Parsley back in the Q, but Kent’s not entirely sure that that’s the case. He’s pretty sure that Jeff just likes to chirp him on the downlow while the guys are still around.

It comes with the unfortunate side effect of having Kyle and at least one of the rookies thinking they can start calling him Parsley. He ends up having to threaten Kyle with telling Laney about the time he waxed poetic about her in a bar to every single woman that came up to him. He’s not entirely sure why the guy’s so embarrassed since it’s a testament to just how faithful he is, but it gets him off his back about the whole Parsley thing so he’ll take what he can get. He just reminds the rookie that he knows about the prank he tried to pull on Scraps the week previous and that if he wants his silence-

He doesn’t even have to get all of the words out of his mouth before the kid agrees.

Regardless it doesn’t stop Jeff from ruffling his hair before they slide into a booth the next time the team’s out after a win at home and ask him what he’s planning on getting to drink. He’s already decided on something non-alcoholic since he doesn’t necessarily trust himself quite yet, nor does he really enjoy the idea of an easy slide into a depressive haze that it represents. But still, supporting the team and all. 

A semi new call-up, not the rookie and definitely not Kyle, asks Jeff if he means Parser.

Jeff just smiles and shakes his head no, “Nah, this guy’s a Parsley if I’ve ever seen one.”

“He doesn’t let us call him Parsley though,” the rookie pouts from where he’s shoved in between Scraps and Kyle.

Jeff laughs low and long, which does absolutely nothing for the arousal he’s been trying to tamp down since the end of the game. They hadn’t made out in a closet like they try not to do, but more often than not end up falling into each other regardless, because the press was more present than usual. However they had made a quick pit stop behind the tinted windows of Kent’s car, so. 

“Maybe I’m just special,” Jeff responds, his throat all gravel.

Kyle lets out a snort that either the rookie misses or thinks is unimportant because all he does is grumble some more. “I just don’t get it- why does Jeff get to come to team nights? He’s not even team.”

“He good luck,” Scraps intersects smoothly, not even looking up from his phone. Probably still looking at pictures Carmen’s been sending him of Alanna. Or maybe that weird Russian group chat he’s in. Kent’s not in the mood to ask.

“That doesn’t even make sense.”

Scraps looks up and turns towards the rookie. “Is okay, you learn soon. You new, make sense you not know everything.”

“Weird ass team,” the rookie mutters.

“Relax, you’re in Vegas kid. The city that never sleeps,” Kent pauses for a moment, “Or wait- is that New York?”

“I feel like out of everyone you’d know,” Kyle points out, flopping the drink menu down between them to make eye contact.

Jeff laughs again causing Kent’s nerve endings to alight all over. Leave it to him to cause this reaction. Doesn’t even bother commenting on the fact that he barely goes home to New York anymore even though he’s been trying to be better as of late. Just feels his breath catch in his throat and forces himself to dig his hidden hand further into his jeans. He needs to feel the burn to remind him why he can’t just lean all over Jeff even though he’d like to do nothing more.

It’s not that he doesn’t trust the team, it’s just that he’s at least a little worried about deadspin. And the general public. And most things when it comes to being outed no matter how much he tries to convince Jeff he’s fine if something does happen. “PR has a plan” is his go to response as of late, because it’s the closest thing he has to a safety net currently.

Jeff’s reaches over to touch Kent’s hand under the table and while Kent doesn’t flinch it’s a near thing. Of course Jeff would notice him having gone stiff against his side. He rubs his thumb around in soothing circles until Kent feels like he can breathe again. Jeff knows him probably a little too well to allow him to continue to spiral.

“Sounds about right Parsley, eh?”

He sounds so fucking Canadian and Kent’s never been more in love.

He just shrugs instead of answering though, “Regardless it’s sin city or something. Loosen up kid.”

“Maybe if you end up the good luck charm that gets the team to the cup then you can call him Parsley,” Jeff announces with a long drawn out wink.

Kyle, the rookie, and the call-up all suck in deep breaths. Scraps is too busy waving down a waitress to really notice. Kent snorts silently to himself. Jeff apparently will never let up that his dick was supposedly the key to the team’s success in 2014. No matter that he doesn’t even really believe in superstitions, something he only admitted to after they’d gotten together again. Or together for real. Or at all. Or- actually he doesn’t really want to think about it anymore because that confusing mess is over and he’d like to leave it that way. Still most hockey players have their weird rituals for a reason, and he knows that all the players here aren’t exempt.

“Don’t jinx it,” he hisses out in response, but slips their fingers together and holds on tighter. He might not be able to say _I love you_ out loud but he can show it.

His body moves with the effort of Jeff’s laughter. “Sure Kent, whatever you say.”

“It might be more weird when you just call him Kent,” the call-up says.

And even Kent can’t help himself in bursting out laughing at that. If it allows him to be able to lean into Jeff’s side, well, he’ll take what he can get. He still pays a fine the next morning because Kyle swears he’d been able to tell they were holding hands under the table.

Worth it.

* * *

**Muffin**

The food nicknames are worse. Or well, not worse, just cheesier. Which is a food pun in itself. And yes he does hate himself a little bit for making it on accident. The only upside to the food nicknames is that they’re normally followed up by Jeff presenting him with some new dish in relation to said nickname.

Like that time Jeff got really into baking before he decided that he should probably go back to college and get a _real_ job and had hand fed him treats and called him (literal) sweet names. Kent had unfortunately been unable to convince him that being a WAG was a fulltime job after said weekend. And that he could just spend his free time cooking and being readily available for orgasms at easy convenience. Jeff had been particularly nonplussed at that last comment.

But like, they still traded blowjobs that night though, so Jeff couldn’t have been too particularly turned off by the idea. Regardless, Jeff had started attending community college shortly thereafter, but then he was able to stop feeling bad about leaving Jeff with nothing to do so it ended up working out well.

He just bought muffins from the store to present before he called him Muffin instead. Kent was also terribly endeared whenever he was presented with one and subsequently called that. All the gushy feelings furling up through his stomach and settling close to his heart. A garden of potential that just kept growing and growing.

“Thanks,” he whispers, secretly pleased, before placing a kiss to Jeff’s cheek.

Yeah, he was in love, so what?

* * *

**Buttercup**

“I hate when he calls me Buttercup,” he explains to Julie.

“What? Why? Ugh you know what, if your explanation is the same as Lyndsey’s I don’t want it. She’s always complaining about boys.”

Kent pauses, “Have you considered she’s not into boys?”

“Yeah, probably, but like it’s not like she has to tell me. It’s her journey. I support her in whatever she does and as long as she knows that, it's all good.”

“Wow, so supportive,” he deadpans.

Julie snorts, “It’s just, it’s whatever. Like I know you’re gay and you have a boyfriend and that also you can’t be out because of the NHL. Which is so dumb by the way, not you being dumb this time at least, but the NHL. So I get the whole secretive thing and how somebody might not want to come out. And that’s not including the whole she might not be sure thing. But anyway back to your Buttercup thing, why is that?”

“Because he doesn’t accompany it with food,” he pouts glumly into the receiver. He’ll circle back to the comment on Lyndsey at a later date. 

It’s fine, truly, he doesn’t expect Jeff to always provide him with food before all food related nicknames. It’s just, he kind of likes it actually, and he might also be missing him since Jeff’s staying late for a class project today and Kent had a matinee game and he just wants to be able to snuggle his boyfriend before lazily making dinner with him. As it is he’ll probably just end up ordering in, again, because making dinner without Jeff just isn’t the same.

He should probably make note of that to mention to his therapist when he goes in next.

“Why would he accompany it with food?” his sister asks from the other end of the call.

“Because all his other food based nicknames are accompanied with food. Except Parsley but who _actually_ likes parsley and that’s more or less based on my last name anyway.”

“Kent?” she interjects.

“Yes?”

“Please tell me you know that a buttercup is a flower and not a food. I know you play hockey and all, but please tell me you haven’t been moping because your boyfriend hasn’t been giving you a buttercup before he calls you that.”

“Uh,” he starts.

“Oh my God you _have_ been sad because you thought that buttercups were a type of food.”

“In my defense, it has the word butter in it.”

“What would you know about butter? You don’t cook and your boyfriend makes you healthy shit because again, you play hockey.”

He goes quiet, “He makes butter tarts sometimes.”

“Does he call you a butter tart after handing one to you?”

“Yeah,” he replies softly, scuffing his socked foot against the cream carpet. His free hand settling into Kit’s fur who swings her tail lazily and looks up at him with a large yawn.

“I hate how disgustingly sweet you two are.”

“I don’t,” Kent replies softly, thinking about Jeff’s warm eyes and how when he goes to bed tonight it’ll be with his head against Jeff’s chest. 

“Ugh, call me back some time tomorrow. Preferably when you’re not still so hung up on your boy.”

“He’s not my boy,” he responds on autopilot before he can stop himself. A lifetime of hiding taking precedence over his true feelings.

He can practically hear the eye roll through the phone. “Yeah he is.”

He can’t stop the stupid dopey grin forming across his face. “Yeah he is.” At least with her he can be honest, even if it is on the second run through.

But what he doesn’t tell her is that when Jeff gets home later that night he shows up with a bouquet of flowers and calls him Buttercup as Kent replaces the old flowers in the vase with the new ones.

What she doesn’t know can’t hurt her.

* * *

**Baby**

“Baby,” Jeff murmurs against his collarbone. 

Kent’s tired, so fucking tired, and for what? His team’s not even going to the playoffs. Jack’s team is and he should probably feel happy for him but he’s a little too jaded and annoyed right now.

Plus the new trades haven’t been working out as well as he’d like. He’s pretty sure Kyle’s had to talk with one of the guys at least a couple times to get him to settle down with the locker room talk. Kent refuses to tolerate it now, and as captain he at least wields that power. Plus both Kyle and Scraps are willing to back him up and if need be the coaches and other management threw their hats in the ring when he came out to them. So he can probably count on them if it ever escalates.

“Yeah,” he responds softly, listing his head to the side to give Jeff more access to his neck. Jeff’s chest is warm and broad against his back and Kent just wants to lose himself in the feeling of that right now.

Jeff starts kissing his way down featherlight until he gets to the juncture where his neck meets his shoulder. Jeff’s hands hold him tight around his hips, the pressure points of warmth shooting sparks up his spine.

“Love you,” Jeff continues to murmur against his skin.

“Mhm,” he hums, before gasping as Jeff’s teeth breach the surface of his skin, “Love you too.”

One of Jeff’s hands skims lower, stroking over his briefs, Kent having not even bothered to get sweatpants on. “Fuck,” he half moans out as Jeff continues to cup him through underwear.

“Baby,” he says again.

“Yeah,” Kent pants out, trying to wriggle against Jeff’s front but mostly failing with how the one hand on his hip steadies him along with the other arm having moved to be plastered across his front.

“Want me to help you forget?”

“God yes,” Kent replies in between breaths. He presses his head against Jeff’s chest and tries to breathe easier. 

It doesn’t really work when the next instance is Jeff moving his hand beneath the elastic of Kent’s underwear and pulling his dick out. Jeff works it up and down slowly. Teasing with his light touches in one instance, followed by a tighter grip in the next. He’s not proud of the whine he produces when Jeff takes his hand off of him.

“For the lube, baby,” he whispers softly against Kent’s forehead, kissing him before reaching for it.

When his hand comes back around Kent’s dick, this time lubricated he quickly loses any train of thought. He comes with a cry and slowly comes to, watching as Jeff goes to wipe his hand off against his shirt.

“Wanna blow you,” he announces trying to turn around in Jeff’s arms.

“Oh really?” Jeff responds, smile more of a smirk than anything.

He nods in affirmative, turning around and trying to force himself lower. Jeff lets him go. “Alright baby, whatever you want.”

And he does, he wants this so badly. So he gives just as good as he’d gotten. And when they’re both sated and curled up around the other he draws lazy shapes with his one hand up and down Jeff’s arm that’s thrown over his middle.

He turns his head and presses a kiss to Jeff’s side, “Love you.”

“Love you too, baby.” He can feel the smile in the kiss against his forehead this time. Yeah, he’s particularly fond of this nickname even if he’s not too happy with the outcome of his team’s placing in the standings this year.

* * *

**Handsome**

He does have a favorite nickname though. Not that he’d ever tell anyone. It’s just, sometimes it’s embarrassing how much he feels for Jeff. And some days he still has worries that it’ll backfire all over again just like him and Jack.

They go to therapy for that together and Jeff’s so accommodating he could cry. Sometimes he does after those sessions. And Jeff just lets him, holds him tight and whispers soft words of love. Calls him handsome even when he has snot running down his face.

That’s his favorite. Handsome. He likes the cadence that Jeff uses to say it and how it rolls off of his tongue and straight into Kent’s thoughts and then down to his heart. It makes him feel warm inside, like a candle’s been lit and he’s illuminated from the inside out. 

He’d called him handsome after that pile up when they’d played the Falconers at home. “You don’t think I’m a rat?” he’d asked quietly.

“Never,” had been the response as Jeff had kissed him thoroughly.

He’d taken his time undoing the buttons on Kent’s suit, sliding it off of his shoulders calmly- like the air wasn’t already charged. Followed by unbuttoning the undershirt with unwavering attention. And then he’d pressed a kiss to each of his wrists after unbuttoning those as well.

His heart rate had bracketed up as Jeff had leveled them both, before tipping his chin up to kiss him slow until his world narrowed down into that single moment.

“I love you,” he’d said in response.

Jeff had just thumbed his cheek before leaning in again to nuzzle their noses together. Kent had sucked in a sharp breath. 

“I love you so much, that sometimes it scares me,” Kent had continued.

“Like words can’t describe it,” Jeff had replied.

Kent had nodded in response a little too hurriedly. “Yeah, it’s just a lot. But it’s good, so good.”

“Want me to show you how good?”

Kent had breathed out, “Please.”

Jeff had swept him up best as he could until they finally reached the bed. He’d laid Kent out like a feast to be devoured and he the king about to eat. They’d laid like that, Jeff content to just be above him until he decided that now was as good as any time to remove the rest of his and Kent’s clothes.

And when they’d finally been thoroughly divested of the rest of their articles, and only then, did Jeff begin to work Kent open slowly. Open mouths breathed into each other as Jeff worked one finger in, and then two, and finally three. His fingers had occasionally brushed against Kent’s prostate and he’d feel himself alight all over. The waves pulling him in and out like the tide of an ocean controlled by the moon.

“Bare,” he’d begged.

Jeff had cocked an eyebrow questionly.

“No condom,” he’d paused to suck in a ragged breath before continuing, “please.”

Jeff’s face had been open and raw, a mirror of emotions passing between the two of them. 

“If-”

“I’m so sure, please, just, I need this.”

Jeff had nodded before leaning forward to place a kiss against each of his eyebrows and then one last lingering one on the lips. He’d slicked his dick up afterwards, and Kent had sighed on the intake.

Jeff had pushed in and out until he finally bottomed out. And when they were joined he had leaned forward over Kent and started whispering soft things in Kent’s ear. _Gorgeous, beautiful, so strong, kind, love you_. But mostly he remembers being called handsome.

So if he melts a little whenever Jeff puts a hand on the small of his back and comments on how he looks particularly handsome today, it’s whatever. He gets to lose himself in those brown eyes at night and fall asleep to the rise and fall of his chest each night. So he wins in the end.

Regardless Jeff still finds it particularly hilarious that Kent has a thing for his eyes. Still has screenshots of the original messages that kick-started the whole mess in the first place. Chirps the shit out of him for it, but lovingly, so it’s fine. 

But it’s not like it’s not true, what he said inebriated all that time ago.

Jeff’s eyes are soft and Kent likes the way his eyes crinkle at the corners when he smiles. And he did think he’d looked sad and that he had wanted to change that. Still does to be honest. Wants to make sure that he’s never sad ever again. And maybe that won’t be possible because the world sucks, but he likes to think that he can help him. Even if it’s something as simple as supporting his new adventures in getting his degree.

Plus his eyes are never cold. Not like Jack’s when they’d gone flint. And while he’s definitely gotten better at not comparing the two, he knows in his heart of hearts he made the right decision. That even if Jack were to show up tomorrow with everything his heart had wanted at seventeen he wouldn’t need it. He has this now.

“You’re smiling, what for?” Jeff asks him, more amused than anything.

“Nothing, I just love you,” and then he leans up to press a kiss to the underside of his chin.

* * *

**+1 (Mine)**

“Do you have a favorite nickname?” Kent asks him unceremoniously as he rolls over on the beach towel that’s more baked sand than anything else at this rate.

Jeff glances down at him, sliding a bookmark into place in the book he’s reading before closing it. It’s some piece about educating children or something. Kent’s not entirely sure, just knows that Jeff’s been thinking seriously about going into an education major or something. Wants to teach kids math, likely having been inspired by Alanna and possibly his mother.

“A favorite nickname?” he asks.

“Yeah, like you call me all those cute names and shit. I’m uh,” he pauses to clear his throat, “particularly fond of handsome.”

“Yeah?” Jeff asks.

Kent nods best he can with his chin hitting the sand since he’s flopped over on his stomach.

“Yeah, it makes me feel good inside.”

Jeff’s smile’s blinding, which is impressive in its own right seeing as they’re currently on an island in the middle of the ocean with the sun beating down above them. It’d been Kent’s idea to hide from the craze that had followed Jack’s coming out. Which, he and Jack had agreed to meet when the dust had more or less settled again to clear the air, but this vacation for him and Jeff was much needed. Jeff deserved it for doing well in his classes (and for putting up with Kent throughout the entire season as disappointing as it’d been). And Kent had mostly wanted it so he could make out with his boyfriend on a beach. 

It worked out well.

“Well, my favorite’s when you call me yours.”

“Yours?” he asks, confused.

“Yeah, well I guess it’d be you saying _mine_. That’s my favorite.”

Kent falls further into the puddle of goo he’s been slowly devolving into the entire afternoon. “God I love you.”

“Love you too.”

“Want to go fuck?”

“What now?” Jeff asks.

“I mean- now’s as good a time as any. And I love you so much and just want to show you the best way I know how.”

“Kent, everything you do shows me how much you love me.”

He doesn’t cry, but it’s a near thing. “Well,” he starts when he can finally find his voice again, “Do you want to bang or not?”

“Bang?” Jeff asks incredulously even as he starts getting out of the chair he’s been lounging in all afternoon.

“Have sex. Make love. Fuck. Bang. Whatever,” Kent responds exasperated.

Jeff laughs. “You just like me for my ass, I see how it is.”

They turn to face each other once they’re done picking up the things they brought to the beach. “Your ass is a nice bonus, not going to lie,” Kent admits.

“Just my ass?” Jeff asks, a smirk settling over his features.

Kent shakes his head before leaning up. “Nah, I’m at least a little bit in love with everything about you.”

They both smile into the kiss.

“Mine.”

**Author's Note:**

> Content/Trigger warnings:
> 
>   1. References to the time Kent was depressed
>   2. References to the time Kent was using alcohol as a crutch
>   3. Mentions of therapy, both as a couple and separately
>   4. The underlying fear of being outed
> 

> 
> To the one commenter who called me out on not typing out the drunken message Kent sent Jeff about his brown eyes- hope this is a sufficient replacement.
> 
> Anyway leave a comment if you desire or come talk to me on twitter [@JeanTheBookWorm](https://twitter.com/JeanTheBookWorm) or on tumblr [@pinkviper](https://pinkviper.tumblr.com/)


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